Preventing Violence in the Most Violent Contexts: Behavioral and Neurophysiological Evidence from El Salvador

Abstract Violence and delinquency levels in Central America are among the highest in the world and constrain human capital acquisition. We designed and conducted a randomized experiment in El Salvador to measure the impacts of an after-school program aimed at reducing school violence. The program combines a behavioral intervention with extracurricular activities for 10 to 16 year old students. We find the program reduced the participants’ violent behavior both inside and outside of school and indirectly improved their attendance, attitudes toward school and learning, and academic outcomes. Using state-of-the-art technology, we measured participant brain activity and show that the intervention fosters emotion regulation, enabling treated adolescents to remain calmer when faced with external stimuli.